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| Training for White Desert in Egypt
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THE WHITE DESERT RACE Event No 3
http://www.4deserts.com/sahararace/
Email the boys
To email them click on the link above and follow the link for Email a competitor
Paul’s number is 109
Gavin’s number is 125
Colin’s number is 96
LATEST REPORT
Saturday 1 November
Colin's latest report from the Race
Dropped out half way through third day through heat exhaustion, lack of sleep and nausea. Took next day off then started the 100k stage. Did 65k non stop then decided to call it a day when the shin splints started! Just finished the final day at the pyramids. Did about 170k in total. Me and Paul now at airport hoovering up the fast food. You were sorely missed Steve and many people asked after you. Particularly Nina!! Take care. Colin & Paul.
Stage 6 The Finish
The last stage is 5k and both Paul and Gavin have finished in great style. Colin also rejoined the race and undertook 65k of the long stage and came across the finish line. They have all done extremely well.
Paul has completed the course in a time of 38hours 16mins and 6 secs and came in 29th
Gavin has completed the race in 49hours 38 mins and 5 secs beating the fifty hour barrier and completing the course in 86th place
Colin completed the last section as well in 45 minutes. Great going and great mental stamina
We are looking forward to seeing them all come home
Thursday/ Friday 30/31 October
Stage 5
At long last, competitors who are still in the competition will face the 95 - 100 kilometer (50 - 60 mile) “Stage 5” which takes competitors from the White Desert to the heart of the Black Desert. The terrain is lunar like, with many plateaus to traverse. A strong mind and limitless endurance will be the key to survival on this stage which is simply flat out and stony for most of the way
This is by far the hardest part of the race and the boys will need to pace themselves so that they can complete the course and not burn out half way through. The long stage is all about setting the right pace. To be able to complete this section in one hit the competitor need to start off relatively slow so that he runs within himself for a very long period of time. Fast walking is fine as long as you can keep the pace and rhythm going for many hours. Long stops at checkpoints kill you and it is enough to make the difference between completion in the night and finishing 7-8 hours later.
Paul has finished the stage in 15 hours 16minutes a fantastic time and just goes to prove that his feet have held up and his training since Morocco has been spot on. He is currently 29th out of 160 and has gone up 5 places.
Gavin has completed the course 5 hours later in 20 hours 16 another good time. The terrain is stony and that will have caused havoc on the blisters. 95-100 kilometers over that terrain especially the black desert at night is a great effort.
Wednesday 29th October
Stage 4
With camp situated in the middle of a dune field, competitors will not find respite from the sand on Stage 4. Running through the Qarawin dunes competitors will find heaven in a small oasis brimming with water. Ancient roman ruins can be found everywhere, and a mummy is hidden just to the left of the oasis as a reminder of just how unforgiving the terrain can be. The total distance is 37 kilometers (23.1 miles)
Both Gavin and Paul have made good time and are now sitting the tent looking at the evening sun. They will be ditching every last bit of weight tonight as they get ready for the 100km stage. This is very long and the trick to completing this in time is to break the course down into manageable bits or sections in your head. There will be long periods during the day when they are walking running by themselves and lost in their own world of thoughts, whilst the heat bounces up from the ground searing into their eyes.
In the morning about 10 am the sweat will pour off their bodies for about 20minutes before they become perfectly dry for the rest of the morning .After lunch they will find the heat building to a crescendo about 2pm which stays there until 4 . By 5 they will be sweating again and by 8 they will be shivering with cold which gets worse until at 4am it is unbearable and you think you have gone off track and are in the Arctic not the Sahara. Normally we are tucked up in our sleeping bags but this time they will feel the cold night of the Sahara for the first time.
They may do this in two stages but I think that Paul will try to bash it out in one go. This is the most important part of the race and if you can complete the entire section in a day then you will go right up the leader board. Its worth doing as you have a whole day off before the short run in at the end.
They have both done really well
Tuesday 28th October
Stage 3
Stage 3 is the beginning of what is called “Hamada” in the Bedouin language or “flat out” in English. Competitors will be in an area where only sand is in sight, leading to a dune section known for its harsh and unforgiving winds. The area resembles a paradise with no water. The distance is 37.5 kilometers (23.4 miles).
We have received a short message from the boys in the Desert
Hi Steve
short message from Egypt. Paul is flying as you have probably seen from the results, his feet are bearing up much better than last time and at one point today he was running 4th! but unfortunately Colin withdrew today on stage 2. I'm fairing ok feet were doing fine until today when blisters arrived but other than that we're all ok. missing our captain so hope you have sorted everything out and that it's ok over there. tent is good fun, We have Jack Denness with us and he's getting a lot of attention, the other guys have done Gobi and Atacama and are a real laugh. hopefully we'll get the chance to send you another update and better still hear from you
take care Gavin
Paul is doing really well, he is currently 34th out of 160, Gavin is in 87th place. The terrain is now opening out into the type of desert where you can be completely alone It is like a sea of sand where the entire horizon is featureless and you can easily get lost. Fortunately the path is marked but this won’t help them much during the night stage. Gavin’s feet should hold up because though the feet start to hurt as the blisters build up, the weight of the pack is getting lighter and they have now acclimatized to the terrain. They are veterans after all and this is their third trip.
Monday 27th October
Stage 2
Stage 2 traverses some of the most beautiful rock formations in the White Desert with animals, birds and mushroom formations dotting the landscape and the rough country where competitors will traverse. The stage begins with a difficult section followed by more moderate terrain. Competitors will cover almost a marathon distance of 41.8 kilometers (26.1 miles). The terrain is sandy and rocky throughout the stage,
Paul once again did well finishing in 34th in 5:39 mins .That’s a great time considering the pack is still heavy and that terrain is rocky and uneven. Gavin finished 2 hours later in 84th and again that’s a good time as it means that he is moving into the race in a controlled manner which allows the body to aclimatise to the terrain and heat and leaves enough in the tank for the long stage at the end which is a straight 100km.
Colin completed stage 2 in 10:36 and is probably getting a reaction to stage 1’s heat, but he should still be OK provided he gets a good nights sleep.
The key thing as in all races is sleep and feet. The faster you go the more likely you are to suffer from blisters unless you are experienced enough to find the trick of how not to get them. They all suffered in Morocco and Paul has done a considerable amount of research and using different techniques since the Marathon Des sables and I am sure he is going to be OK.
When you are out there competing in the course, especially when the heat gets up about 2-4pm the only thing going through your head is the next checkpoint or the campsite. Its amazing how grown men can spend how continually reliving how its going to feel when you take off your rucksack and collapse on to a sleeping bag on a Arabic carpet on a patch of dust, but you do.
Sunday 26th October
Stage 1
Beginning around the oasis of Farafra, competitors begin Stage 1 in an area surrounded by white rocks in the heart of the White Desert. The first stage is moderate with a total of 35 kilometers (21.9 miles). There are four checkpoints with mainly flat, rocky and sandy ground.
The boys are lucky in so far as one of their tent mates is Jack Denness or better known as “Death Valley Jack”. Jack is the most experienced desert runner in the UK and the only person to have completed the Death Valley race 10 times an incredible achievement. He won’t be the fastest but he is the strongest able to be on his own in the desert for weeks not just days. He can bear enormous pain I have known him to complete a race of100 km on a slipped disc.
The start will have been spectacular and the landscape is lunar and very strange. All three did we’ll today
Paul came in first in just over 5 hours in 5:01, Gavin finished in 6 :08 again a good time and Colin came in in 7:10 mins another decent time.
The important thing in these races is to ease your way into it. All of us had trained hard for this race after the disappointment of Morocco. They should all get a good night sleep and get ready for Stage 2
Getting to the Start
Saturday 25th October
The guys will now have arrived at the Hotel last night and today they will be undertaking the registration. From there they will pack there kitbags and travel to the start site which is in the very far south of the country on the Sudan border.
For Photos and Movies look at
and follow your way through the site.
Can you send the boys as many Emails as possible as it means a lot to all of them at the end of each day. To email them click on the link above and follow the link for Email a competitor
Paul’s number is 109
Gavin’s number is 125
Colin’s number is 96
The training has started... for our toughest challenge yet.
Updates coming soon.
We have been getting noticed in the press
Colin's Latest report update
Things are looking decidedly dodgy for me at the moment. I've had problems with my achilles and recently suffered damage to a nerve in my foot. The training was going really well up to then! Still, I intend to start the race and see how I fare. I'm fitter than I was at the MDS, and my knees are holding up, so provided I manage to keep hold of my equipment, I hope to be fine!!
Paul is looking super fit and has perfected the foot treatment, Steve has just done the Chicago marathon, and Gavin has been training thre or four or five times a week, so between us we should have some success! We're all meeting up tomorrow night for a pre-race briefing (dinner and lashings of wine - a necessary part of the training regime!).
Keep in touch, and thanks again.
Cheers
Colin.
Motty’s pre- race update.....
Well; only a week to go and the training is finished – need a bit of time to allow the ‘old’ legs to recover.
To be honest, for the first time before one of these events I have to admit to being nervous!! Reason being; we now know what to expect and the there are no more excuses left for failure (although after 6 days racing I recon two consultants, one project manager and most of all, one client should be able to conjure something rather creative up – just treat it like a meeting!!).
Problem is; for the Gobi we were more ‘tourists’ than competitors and simply learning our trade. In the marathon Des Sable we were well prepared and more aware of the magnitude of the task in hand but found new ailments to prevent three of us finishing. However, going back to the Sahara, we know exactly what to expect and its daunting. I watched the DVD of the MDS the other night to get inspiration; frankly, it scared the life out of me!!
Without a doubt we have all really trained hard, yes in the pubs and bars of London, but also in the gym and on the trails. Gavin is a five times a week man (I am talking in the gym but not a bad rumour to start hey Gav?), Steve is much quicker than last year and has just successfully completed the Chicago Marathon as a bloody warm up!! And as for Colin; he has trained harder than ever only to be hit with a bad foot injury just before we leave. He’s still coming though (he always has been a stubborn bugger!!).
I have been lucky to escape serious injuries so far in the run up to this event so I feel ready for action and have decided to adopt the rather cavalier attitude of XXXX or Bust!! I am desperate to push myself to see if I can make the top 25% and if my feet go again or I mess up my hydration then so be it – I can always help out at a checkpoint and take the pxss out of the boys as they struggle on!!
Finally, I would just like to say to my fellow Sandblasters (succeed or fail), how much I am looking forward to another 7 days in the desert with you - sleeping rough, eating crap food, feeling like the food (you are what you eat!), making one wet wipe do for the whole of your body and generally stinking, can’t wait!! I am sure it will be as life changing and as fulfilling as ever. We are very privileged to share these experiences together.
Motty
Ps. if you believe that you will believe anything – much better to wax lyrical about it in Langhans!
Steve's Report 14th September
Well I now have the new Polar heart monitor/ Saturn 5 rocket which measures everything about your body down to the size of each red corpuscle. Seriously it sets the heart and your workout into bands and lets you know how evenly paced your are running.. My training is now up to 70kms a week and I am burning about 4000 calories a week in doing it.
Paul has become “Rocketman” disappearing into a cloud of smoke and dust as he pounds the trails along the Thames. The book on “fix your feet” has been a big boon to him enabling him to keep going and it will be interesting to see him compete now that this debilitating problem seems to be passed.
We are now training at full bore, wish us luck.
Cheers
Steve
Colin's report 26th August
This weekend I did two 10k runs across the cliffs of North Devon. Great training terrain. For me that's a lot in one week, so I really need to step things up. Any benefit to my BMI was offset with lots of local ale and clotted cream, so I really need to cut that side of life down!!
Just as an aside, after each run this weekend I plunged myself straight into the freezing cold Atlantic and bobbed about for about 15mins. Afterwards I didn't have the usual aching achilles and limbs, The ice treatment works!!
Cheers
Steve's training update 6th August
Its Race time!
I finally decided enough was enough and got into training. I slowly slipped on my running shoes to the sounds of chariots of Fire; warmed up by the lifts and standing outside the flats looking rather like a cross between Sylvester Stallone and a menopausal hamster, I started to run. Curiously there was no resounding Godzilla like thump on the pavement as I started, but a rather limp “plat” as the running shoe hit the ground. Ho hum there’s running egos for you.
No it’s been great to get the all clear and to get back into it and get back into running I certainly have. I started last week on 20K; this week on 50k and hope to be on 70k in side of two weeks. I am upgrading my training equipment and for a change I already know which shoe I will be using; a Nike Structure triax.
I am looking at races and long distance runs that we can do as a team in the late August / September periods. These are off road 50k runs and sometimes longer. We need to get back to Battersea Park for our pyramid training and I will have this schedule ready shortly.
We are running on the Sudan / Egypt border and will then work our way North to finish by the Sphinx. This will be an unbelievable experience. The terrain is going to be very hard and the area is one where we need to be wary. I looked on the TV last night to see pictures of Kashgar where we finished last year in China. Today it’s full of soldiers hunting terrorists; last year it was us. The same applies in Mauretania and the same could apply here. We need to be very fit in both mind and body even when we are tired. It’s a safety precaution.
We hope you are enjoying the pictures and movies . There will be many more in Egypt.
Gavin Training update 25th July
Well, we’re now 13 weeks to departure, the Marathon des Sables is now a distant memory, feet are now mended, sun tan gone! It was a fantastic experience and as barmy as it sounds one I would definitely do again given the chance, but my attention has now inexorably shifted towards getting myself into some sort of shape for Egypt in October and The White Desert.
I didn’t realise it but the injury I picked up in January whilst skiing with the boys was a bit more serious than I had first thought. My knees are rickety old things at the best of times and I had simply thought the aching in my left knee was another symptom of getting old and knackered. As it turns out that fall in Zűrs had resulted in me taking a chunk out the back of my “good” knee cap. Andrew, my orthopaedic surgeon to whom I obviously owe a lot for keep patching me up so I can continue doing this stuff, was quite philosophical this time. “The good news” he started is that I don’t need an immediate operation. This is always a good start to any conversation with him but if I don’t need an operation why is so bloody painful?! Well, he continued, it’s all about pain management and if I could deal with the “discomfort” (surgical parlance for pain!) I wasn’t doing any further damage to the knee so I should just try it out and see how I felt. Simple!
I wasn’t looking for another operation this year so I have heeded his advice, by mostly staying off the treadmill and avoiding road running, preferring the torture of the cross trainer, and anything else that won’t aggravate my knees. This, surprisingly, is going very well although I am sweating profusely every time I get off the damn thing. If I am going to have any chance of getting across the finishing line not only do I need to shed a few pounds (the price of savouring the story of the MDS in too many restaurants clearly!) but I need to increase both the intensity and duration of my workouts. This is proving easier said than done. Not only am I knackered when I get home at night but there simply don’t appear to be enough hours in the day, still 4 sessions this week is encouraging with the weekend to come. Trying to get weekly mileage up to something approaching 100 kilometres (sorry Steve, I know it’s not enough) is giving me a headache but I just wish it wasn’t so hot, silly thing to say when you’re preparing for a desert run!!
The really great news is that we’re getting our heads around fund raising and had the great pleasure of being invited to the Small Steps summer party last month. What a fabulously rewarding afternoon, as if we needed reminding why we’re here, the kids did us proud, thank you Anita and all the staff for all your support, you’re fantastic. It was a real eye opener as much as we had paid lip service to it previously and has galvanised our attention towards the next goal. I know the Olympics are just around the corner but hey the real big show is in October, honest!
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| Marathon des Sables: March/April 2008
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Steve’s
Final Report - June 2008
The Marathon Des Sables is
an amazing race because it changes people’s lives.
The abiding memories for me
are;
The camaraderie in the tent,·
Paul·
walking with sticks which reminded me of my first trip to Morroco,
Patrick·
Bauer,
The amazing scenery,·
The pain,·
The ecstasy·
Gavin· at
the end of the 50 miler,
Colin last on Day 2 and still chirpy when the·
lights on the torch ran out and he was left in the desert dead last in pitch
black night of the Sahara,
Meeting so many friends·
For me watching the team
strive to complete the race and the camaraderie in the tent and in the camp
made the race special. Also seeing the event for the first time from another
angle was fascinating. For years we have heard of people leaving the race but
we never understood what happened to the “abandons” as the French call them.
Well, driving across the Sahara in an old van,
and seeing the incredible organisation first hand just increased my admiration
for the organisers
For me this race was very
different! I was OK to day 3 and then came down with potassium poisoning which
made my crap go bright green and I could only eat pure salt. When I arrived at
the race I wondered what I was doing there, it was my fifth time and with Anke
going home at the start, I felt out of it at first. But that soon left
and the race once again spread its magic on everyone and by the time we were
half way through it was easily the best race in the world.
I returned to find my blood
cells all over the place and it took 6 weeks for them to recover. I had messed
up at some point personal hygiene may have lapsed or something else, but it
goes to show you can never take the desert lightly. I can’t wait for Egypt.
Regards Steve
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Motty's Thoughts on...................'An amazing MDS'. 15 April 2008
Well, we are back and having had a few days to reflect and
nurse ourselves back to the peak condition that we all obviously maintain as a
matter of course, what follows are my thoughts, memories and conclusions on my
journey.
Firstly, thanks to our non-Sandblaster tent mates Sharon
and Andreas. Lovely people who we all formed a bond with; thanks and well done
to both of you.
So; here we go.................................
| Back Home: Colin And Paul at Terminal 5
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The T5 debacle is dull so I will not dwell on that. Let's
start with the event. It is amazing. The organisation of such a massive event
in the middle of nowhere (sorry to any Tourags who actually live there but, be
honest lads; you wouldn't chose to live there!!) was a first class. There were
absolutely no hitches, or at least none visible to, or that effected the
competitors - what an amazing achievement by the organisation. BA could learn a
thing or two (sorry said I wouldn't mention that).
Contrary to Gav's update which implies underestimation of
the task in hand; I have no excuses for my failure being down to lack of
preparation. I took it very seriously, I was prepared as well as I could
possibly be (and in that statement lies the root of my failure), I had done
hundreds of miles training, my feet had been beautified by Margaret Dabbs and
her lovely ladies (top foot person off Harley Street) and my food was spot on
(well, the breakfasts were crap but most of it was good). So why did I fail?
Simple; my feet fell apart. Although my preparation was good, part of the
challenge of these events is knowledge gained through experience and as this
was only our second extreme event you can only 'cover the bases' that nearly
undid us in the Gobi last year. I had done this. The problem is that these
bloody races are all so different and contain their own unique set of demands
and challenges.
In the Gobi our feet swelled to about 2 sizes larger than
normal which resulted in me having 'oil tanker' like size 13's by day 3 and
blister problems. For the MDS I cunningly wore size 13's to allow for this.
Unfortunately for me, the organisers were even more cunning and dropped in a
14km stage of seriously bloody large dunes (and we are not talking Camber
Sands) as the first stage of the initial 31.6km opening day - cheers
chaps!!! Basically this resulted in my feet becoming blistered day one and that
pretty much sealed my fate - it was only a matter of time before they got so
bad that I had to 'Abandon' as our French organisers so belittling call it and
halfway through day 4 I 'Abandoned'!! And; guess what - my feet didn't swell
one little bit (see; different race, different challenge).
I have already ordered new socks, a book on how to 'Fix' my
feet (thanks for the recommendation Sharon - our
tent mate) and some anti-chaffing stuff which will hope fully result in a
successful White Desert race in October.
So; more lessons learnt and more experience gained and all
whilst being part of a truly amazing event. If anyone reading this (if there is
anyone who reads these?) fancies a crack at one of these events - go for it,
you will love it. Trust me.
Finally, having read Steve's diary and Gav's summaries
(they are a bit negative boys if you don't mind a fellow Sandblaster saying!!),
I feel compelled to make it very clear that we all thoroughly enjoyed it and
every day there were positives to draw on. We are a tight team who pull
together and always help each other. Regardless of the hard times, these events
are incredible for finding out about yourself and cementing friendships. Even
though three of us 'Abandoned', Colin and I are very philosophical about it and
are very pleased with what we achieved - Col
even pulled a camel!!! Steve simply got sick; you can't legislate for that, and
as for you Gav - wallow in successfully completing what is renowned as 'the
toughest race on earth' (that's a quote from this month Men's Health mag!!),
it's an amazing achievement for an overweight, hard drinking desk jockey!!!
Love Motty
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Gavin’s Diary: 9th April 2008
The euphoria has died down, as too will the blisters but for moment they are still agonising. I have had a normal night’s sleep for the first time in 2 weeks and washed all the sand out of my hair and even attempted to put on shoes. Regrettably this last point is still too difficult.
Observations on our experiences are definitely best commented on reflectively rather than real time. According to Steve we’re desert race veterans and right now I can see why he thinks so. If I had written this diary on the journey home I’m sure it would have been a depressing read, however today is a good day. It is funny though my journey to work this morning on the tube reminded me how far we had come since Sunday. There we were under Saharan sun sharing Moroccan delicacies watching champion desert racers receiving their trophies and today my fellow commuters were oblivious and uninterested jostling each other for a place on another crowded train barely giving me a glance other than occasional cursory looks at my latest footwear faut pas. Some things you clearly don’t do and travelling on the tube in flip flops whilst wearing a suit is one of them!
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MDS Party: "My feet are killing me"
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The preparations for China last year were frantic with the three race virgins, Paul, Colin and myself, our eyes wide open oblivious to the battering we were about to give our bodies. This year, the arrival of the MDS was met rather mutely. We had met and discussed everything we needed to, organised ourselves as well as we thought we needed to, but then you can’t anticipate everything, thank you British Airways and Terminal 5! We were trained, had bought all the kit, the shoes, the food, the double skin plasters and yet where was the anticipation? As departure approached the four of us were all too busy to worry about the race itself and yet when that day finally came we all arrived at Heathrow’s shiny new Terminal 5 like kids at a new school smiling cheekily to each other “here we go again”.
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MDS party: Colin relaxing with a beer
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This race was memorable in the most part for the wrong reasons, extraordinary problems with our outbound journey that nearly resulted in us not getting to the race at all, the boys’ disappointment at not finishing, the conditions being incredibly hard both physically and mentally. In fact it became an jolting reality check, that reminded each of us that these events are not to be taken lightly, perhaps we hadn’t given it the respect it deserved. Clearly we’re going to need to review our preparations for future races, our build up and planning but more importantly ensure that we all finish the next one. Naively we had set out last year in the belief that these races were comic book simple where the heroes of the story arrive at the destination come what may. Colin’s problems in China were isolated weren’t they? Surely that wouldn’t happen again and then....... the wheels had come off spectacularly, again.
Local Band at the Marathon Des Sables Party
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Gavin’s Diary: 7th April 2008
I am reflecting on the last 10 days by walking the concourse of Casablanca airport between connecting flights on our return from Ourzazate, Morocco. Walking, in this instance, is probably overstating it as I have now a distinctive shuffle to my gait, the result of chronic blistering and bruising to my feet. This is clearly as an amusing sight as it is a bewildering one to general travellers! However to fellow returning competitors bound for destinations all over Europe the knowing look as we pass each other is unmistakable, mutual respect. We have attempted to run or walk across one of the world’s harshest environments and achieved something uniquely special and shared an experience that the majority in our lives regrettably won’t ever experience. Without being too gooey about it, it feels good. The pain will subside and give way to a real satisfaction, not a nose in the air “aren’t I special” variety but an understated and modest sense of accomplishment tinged, if I’m honest with more than a little anti-climax. I say this because on this occasion all of my travelling companions, who are engrossed in time various wasting tactics as I sit here, were forced to abandon the race.
In the intense closeness that develops during the week of such an event, the loss of fellow competitors is felt like a real bereavement and it shows down to applauding them at the start of the following race day. Most tents are affected either directly or indirectly by abandoning competitors however, in my case, my friends and colleagues were all gone. “Abandons” have their race numbers removed, are required to wear tee shirts given specifically to them by the race organisers making them readily identifiable and even eat away from fellow competitors. The boys are 3 days on and are by now philosophical and in reflective mood. They have been quick and generous to refer to my achievement, a task made easier I’m sure as I have recently learned that their post race dinner regime was not as bad as it first appeared and even extended to wine with dinner. Thanks for not sharing that during the race guys! Their congratulatory comments have however fallen on deaf ears, I simply don’t hear them, I wanted to cross the line as we had intended, as we did in China for most of that race, as men in black, together. Seeing Colin trudging into camp late on Sunday accompanied by worried race officials and the obligatory camels picking up the stragglers was a bitter blow to my morale, I had really wanted him to finish. We had been concerned that the Saharan sun would be too much and so it proved. Motty, for so long the strongest of us all is mortal after all, his feet “cook” in his shoes when they get too hot and then explode with blisters. I walked his last few kilometres with him as he ground to a painful halt at Checkpoint 3, disappointed and in typical Motty style, sorry for everyone except himself. He had been in excellent form, right up with the pace. Steve is our Mr Reliable, he’s forgotten more about desert racing than we’ll ever know. As a race official arrived at our tent on the evening of day 3 it was instantly clear that something had gone badly wrong and that was the end of Steve’s MDS.
In the space of little over 24 hours I had gone from being part of Team Sandblasters to its sole survivor and there were moments, many of them, when I wasn’t sure I was going to be tough enough to see it through. The boys to their eternal credit greeted me like a conquering hero every night and watched helpless as I patched up my bleeding feet every morning but their faces showed what we all felt and feared, I simply “had” to finish. They were tent mates but they were much more than that. It’s difficult to describe this camaraderie but this is a journey that we set out on together and it remains an incomplete one. As I arrived at the finish on Saturday I didn’t feel like doing cartwheels, unlike the event’s glorious and deserved winner, not that I could have, I was a wreck, but the guys I had intended being next to me as I did so were already there facing me from the wrong side of the line. I had cried my own private tears that day from behind my sunglasses puffing myself away from another painful daily start and so crossed the line apparently elated but I was exhausted, physically and mentally. The mental toughness required to finish had taken its toll and I had nothing left, no smiles, no tears, just complete and utter exhaustion. I hadn’t completely shared it with the boys during the week but each evening after they left for dinner in the latter stages of the week I pressed my face into the floor of the tent with agony as the pain and blood from my smashed feet coursed back through them as I removed my shoes. My new tent companion, Sharon, too whom I am eternally grateful for not sharing this fact with them as the time, was close at hand to offer reassuring comments about how soon the pain would subside. This it turned out was Sharon’s attempt to distract me, and suffice to say by the time the boys returned to the tent I was already in my sleeping bag with dry eyes.
I should be elated right now, but I’m in melancholic mood. True, this MDS had been one of the toughest in recent times, a hard course, tough conditions, climbs, energy sapping dunes, intense heat, but if this were my school report it would read “could have done better” as so many of mine have in the past. The overnight stop forced on me by crippling pains in my feet on day 4 had dropped me 100 places through the field and I felt as though I hadn’t done myself justice and had more to give. The reality was that at the time I simply had nothing left in the tank.
I suppose I simply wanted to fully share this experience and haven’t been able to, so here’s to making progress next term and rising to the challenge that will be posed by the White Desert in Egypt in October. Must shuffle, connecting flight about to leave for Geneva!
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Monday 7 April 2008 - Steve's report
Gavin Makes It - Day 6 Stage 6 - 17.5 K
We awoke to the dawn after finally having a decent night's sleep judging by the snores and wheezes that kept erupting throughout the night. Paul and Colin's side collapsed on them but they carried on sleeping. It was quite emotional late last night when Gavin finally arrived following the marathon stage. It was hot, hard, flat and very dry; conditions which play havoc with the mind. Long straight stages in the afternoon sun never seem to end and get as frustrating as they are painful. He collapsed in the tent and things went a bit emotional as he realised this was really now in his grasp and all the fears and doubts that surround through the course disappeared.
Gavin's feet are a mess again. His little toes are almost deformed and blood cuts now look black. The blisters that give him the most problems are the ones on his soles of his feet. They ache and throb regardless if the feet are taking weight or not. Paul, Colin and myself had no problem getting up as we were looking forward to the standard organisation petite dejeuner - eggs and meat and other delicacies. Gavin munched away at some fragment of paste called food. We said our goodbyes and went away.
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| Paul holding one of the really fresh Oranges |
Gavin just couldn't stop |
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Sharon having finishes the Marathon des Sables
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Gavin's feet at the end |
Paul was a bit quicker today, but still 12 minutes to everyone else's three. We were collected together and then driven across the desert to the finish. We are accustomed to driving on roads and as such If you stay on the road you will eventually get there. In the desert there is no guide, no road and everything about driving is completely different. Our drivers carouseled around like whacky races as they tried to talk to each other; and we kept hitting our heads as we crossed small dry streams. I am sure Abdul warned us in Arabic but it was still a surprise.
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Finish: Gavin dealing with the throng at the finish
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We got to the finish. The hoarding and structures were in place and the streets were thronged to see Mohammed their hero cross the line. Soon he appeared because he can travel across the desert almost as fast as we were driving 9mph. He cartwheeled over the finish to the roar of the local crowd. From then on runner after runner crossed the line crying, shouting or cheering at the sheer delight that the ordeal was over. After two hours Gavin came into view pushing and striding to the line whilst each step burned. He crossed the line, got his medal and we all pounced on him. As soon as it is over it is an anti-climax and you want to turn round and start again. Its a strange race; each year it creates floods of emotions that ebb and flow within each runner. Many return just to do better and to do it properly
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The Finish: Andreas looking pleased and satisfied and so he should
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This race is a medieval ordeal. Its about the agony and the ecstasy as emotions rise and retreat.
Relief at crossing the last 500 metres to a checkpoint or better still arriving at the bivouac at the end of the day. Pain of blisters or mental ache as you cross a plain that doesn't seem to end. Friendships with people who you can laugh with but only know 30 words of their language.
Quite an amazing race…
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Mohammed at the finish
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We collect our things and eat the best orange I have ever tasted with its own stalk, then clamber into the bus and head for the hotel in silence, each with our own thoughts of the week. Its been a strange race for all of us, but one we will all learn from. We are coming back as there is unfinished business here, but for now we are off to Egypt in a few months and re-commence training on our return.
Day 5 Stage 5: Marathon day
Paul Colin and I went off after breakfast at 6.30 this morning and were then driven Sahara-style, which means across sand, over hills down river valleys and there are absolutely no roads whatsoever. Completely strange experience coming from a country where you don’t drive on anything but tarmac. We were bumped about, and have to get out and push the vehicle several times after it got stuck and basically we are doing no more than the speed of the fastest runner in the race.
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| Stage 5: Colin and Paul in the bus |
Stage 5: My Companions
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Gavin set off at 9am this morning; the time is now 3pm and we expect him in in the next two hours. Everything seems to be going fine and knowing him and the high that he is on we are quite sure that he will finish, although his feet will probably give him gyp.
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Stage 5: Driving in the Sahara
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Stage 5: Driving in the Sahara 2
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The weather is great and we don’t want to come home! We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.
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Stage 5: Gavin finishes the Marathon as the sun goes down
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PS: Colin is now known as the jelly babe man having doled out a number of sweets to a runner who was unable to drink or eat. He is also on first name terms with the camel drivers. We have met as usual many new international friends. At abandons the three of us were fed well by the organisation. We haven’t told Gavin how well as he would probably ditch and one of us has got to complete this race.
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Sunday 6 April: Steve's report
Day 4 Double Marathon stage
None of us got much sleep last night. The tent came down at 6.30 and we sat on the carpet. I taped up Paul’s feet and they didn’t look good. Gavin was methodical at preparing and Colin just looked shattered. Our other colleagues Sharon Gayter and Andreas Doerfler are fine; a few blisters but they are OK. At 6.45 I needed to go to the abandoned section. Here there is a collection of runners who dropped out at the same time – including Michel Bach and the Butcher of Fez, who have completed the MdS many, many times between them. Seeing two legends of the race makes me feel a lot better. I turn around and Colin is there as well. He has thrown up breakfast and the last few days has taken its toll - he decided to abandon the race as well.
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Stage 4 : The runners climb over the mountain
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Stage 4: Helicopter support on the ascent
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We are given breakfast and then we are driven to the next checkpoint. It takes five hours to drive to the next site. Gavin and Paul set off for checkpoint 1 over the mountain and dunes. Paul is getting slower, taking 3 hours and 45 minutes to cover 11 kilometres. We carried on to the oasis at checkpoint 2. His blisters opened up and it was like walking on razor blades, every time the foot is lifted off the ground it feels like boiling water is being poured on them. At checkpoint 3, having taken one hour to walk a few kilometres, Paul abandoned the race. He sat at the checkpoint for seven hours reflecting and was driven in a land rover to checkpoint 4 where he slept under the stars as there wasn’t any space in the tent. He froze – put a buff over his head and shivered and shuddered himself to sleep.
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Stage 4: Checkpoint 2 was a welcome sight
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Stage 4: The mountain pass
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Thursday morning Colin and I were told that Paul has dropped out and we get back to the tent to find him there. He’s really slow; taking 12 minutes to cover 300 metres on his sticks. He is so bad that the doctors drive him around the campsite, otherwise he’d die of starvation before he got to the food.
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Stage 4: Paul can hardly make 1 km an hour
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Gavin was finding it tough and empty out in the desert
Late morning and we stand by the finish; the vast clear blue sky stretches from horizon to horizon in each direction like a large azure dome. Gavin strides in on a high at 2pm, although several athletes got lost in the night because local children took the light sticks that marked the route. We clamber around him like a formula one pit crew; one of us is getting a medal at least.
We are now lying in the tent recovering; Colin is feeling fine, his knee is OK, I am still recovering from potassium poisoning. Paul is chipper but needs a retread and Gavin is feeling elated. Tomorrow is marathon day and then a short run in. It is an amazing race.
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Stage 4: Afternoon in the tent
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Stage 4: Andreas looking philosophical in Sun
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We went overland via the truck
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Stage 4: Colin with our Taxi Driver and Taxi
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Wednesday 2 April 2008: Steve's latest report
Race Day 3: Stage 3
Paul’s feet are trashed, he has a selection of blisters around both feet made more ghastly by Doc Trotter’s plastering and red iodine. They look flayed. Gavin’s feet aren’t much better, his main toenail is loose and he can’t sleep. Colin can’t sleep either and the noisy night sounds more like a harbour in a gale than a Saharan campsite. The tents flap and crack in the wind and only the rocks and pins stop them from blowing away, though some collapse.
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| Stage3: We start into the dunes
| Stage 3: Leaving checkpoint 1 behind
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I feel awful, my stomach is churning and Sharon Gayter our tent mate said I look awfully white.
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| Stage 3: Checkpoint 1
| Stage3 : Michael drops out. This is the back of the race
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The gun goes and today it is 40k in 11 hours and I’m very slow; Colin and I are together and it soon becomes clear that Colin is faster. We get to checkpoint 1 in four hours where yesterday it was two, and I am just sick. I go to Doc Trotter’s and get some medication and stay for an hour. I leave but am dead last and alone in the desert. Completely alone.
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| Stage 3: We have to climb that and it's 55 Degrees C
| Stage 3: Looking back from Checkpoint 2
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I feel great and push on and the next person is 40 minutes ahead of me but by the time I get to checkpoint 2 I am third from last. I meet Colin who is leaving and suddenly the wheels come off and I have to stay with the doctors for 90 minutes to stop the sickness. I can only have salt and water, and have only been able to take salt and water for the last 36 hours. I have run out of time and the doctor advises me to stop. The surprising thing is, after all the events and all the successes, the decision is easy. When what is coming out of you is pea green soup you know you have made the right decision.
Elaine lies in the tent next to me, she is delirious and doesn’t want an IV drip. We force it on her and it starts to work, then she goes into shock. The doctors call in the helicopter and it’s here in 5 minutes. She is stretchered away to the clinic. What fantastic organisation! One of the runners turns to me and says - so what happens next? I really have no idea – I have never experienced this before.
Colin Paul and Gavin made it, but Colin is the worse for wear. It was another windy and cold Saharan night and few of us slept well.
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Tuesday 1 April 2008
Day 2 Stage 2
Communication from Morocco has been difficult but Steve managed to get a brief report through last night. The course is not too difficult but it is long and hot – with Monday’s temperatures as high as 47 degrees.They are all knackered. Colin is suffering the most and was dead last on yesterday’s stage, just beating the camel.
Injuries so far:
Steve - crotch rot (I don’t know either so please don’t ask...)
Paul – 4 blisters and crotch rot
Colin - dehydration
Gavin – 7 blisters
Colin's luggage never did turn up and he is the first person to do the MdS using totally borrowed kit - food, clothing, sleeping bag, rucksack, etc... everything.
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